Editors:
Represents the first collection devoted to the study of philosophy in Oscar Wilde.
Shows how philosophy influenced the work of Wilde.
Addresses a broad spectrum of philosophical topics.
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Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Fictions
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
This book is the first collection of essays to discuss Oscar Wilde’s love and vast knowledge of philosophy. Over the past few decades, Oscar Wilde scholars have become increasingly aware of Wilde’s love and intimate knowledge of philosophy. Wilde’s “Oxford Notebooks” and his soon-to-be-published “Notebook on Philosophy” all point to Wilde not just as an aesthete, but also as a serious philosophical thinker.
The aim of this collection is not to make the statement that Wilde was a philosopher, or that his works were philosophical tracts. Rather, it provides a space to explore any and all linkages between Wilde’s works and philosophical thought. Addressing a broad spectrum of philosophical matter, from classical philology to Daoism, ethics to aestheticism, this collection enriches the literature on Wilde and philosophy alike.
Reviews
“At its best ... Philosophy and Oscar Wilde extends our knowledge of Wilde and his intellectual milieu, provokes new thought about what we already knew and whets the appetite for the publication of the next Oxford notebook.” (Iain Ross, The Wildean, Issue 53, July 2018)
“This volume offers nine essays on how these philosophical studies reappeared or left traces in Wilde’s later works – chiefly as targets for this champion of homo ludens to spoof or contradict in his outrageous epigrams which served as a manifesto for his program to liberate the straight-laced, moralistic Victorian society from even the basic stricture of logical consistency.” (Patrick Madigan, The Heythrop Journal, Vol. 159 (1), 2018)
“Philosophy and Oscar Wilde takes as its provocation the recent and immanent publication of Wildean notebooks on the subject of philosophy. This collection, edited by Michael Y. Bennett, constitutes a valuable addition to our knowledge of Wilde’s influences and the development of his thought over time.” (SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, Vol. 58 (4), 2018)
“The essays in this volume investigate Wilde’s notebooks, reading lists, and literary output. … Overall, those interested in Wilde will find this an erudite and informative collection. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.” (S. Bernardo, Choice, Vol. 55 (3), November, 2017)
“Bennett’s collection ... has important aims in their own right, and serious ones. ... Bennett’s book ... is an important contribution to the field, and commendable.” (Giles Whiteley, The Oscholars, September, 2017)
Editors and Affiliations
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Department of Languages and Literatures, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Stoughton, USA
Michael Y. Bennett
About the editor
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Philosophy and Oscar Wilde
Editors: Michael Y. Bennett
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57958-4
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan New York
eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-57957-7Published: 27 February 2017
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-57958-4Published: 22 February 2017
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: IX, 194